


Patronus

by CJCroen1393



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Again, Gen, Patronus, Self-Insert, spoilers for book 7
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-08
Updated: 2015-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-03 12:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4100734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJCroen1393/pseuds/CJCroen1393
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I took a deep breath, aimed my wand and said...</p><p>"E-Expecto Patronum!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patronus

**Author's Note:**

> So, I apologize for not doing a lot of updates for my fanfics.
> 
> I've been in a slight creative slump. Why? Why? I'll tell you why! HARRY POTTER that's why!
> 
> Allow me to explain; this month I've wanted to dedicate all my fanfics to dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasties in honor of "Jurassic June"...but then ABC Family had to do a Harry Potter marathon...my sister and mom started rewatching the movies on DVD, and I watched (and riffed) with them...I took the Pottermore quiz at my sister's request (I'm a Hufflepuff, btw)...Anyone who knows me particularly well will probably know that Harry Potter is one of my oldest fandoms, so in the process of seeing all this I found many, MANY old and new fanfic ideas rearing their heads and threatening to take over my brain.
> 
> Fortunately, I think I've thought up a way to get it out of my system (at least until JJ is over)...I'll write a story that mixes HP with prehistoric fauna! How? Read the title, I think you know how...
> 
> This is also loosely based on a conversation I once had with fellow AO3 user Raptordash on her blog. Thanks for the inspiration, RD!

Times like these were where I wished Harry Potter weren't such an insanely famous wizard.

To further clarify, this is my final year at Hogwarts. And one of the things I have to do for (VERY optional) extra credit in Defense Against the Dark Arts is cast a Patronus Charm against a dummy dressed up to look like a Dementor. This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the fact that not only did Harry Potter summon a corporeal Patronus when younger than us, but so did so many famous wizards of his time; Ron Weasley, Hermione Weasley, Ginny Potter, Luna Scamander...even Professor Longbottom had one now! 

The staff seemed to think this meant that we SHOULD be taught Patronuses at a relatively younger stage. Indeed, defending against evil forms of magic is a good idea. But I was nervous about it.

Corporeal Patronuses are difficult. Most of the other students only had incorporeal ones, and while they passed with flying colors, all the student attention was given to the three students who could produce a corporeal one.

Always the overachiever, my younger sister was one of those students.

I remember seeing her running to me from the Gryffindor table and telling me to watch as she conjured a spectral emperor penguin from the tip of her wand. I (along with half of the Hufflepuff students sitting with me) stared in awe at what she had just accomplished.

So now I was standing there, legs shaking as I hoped with all my might that I wouldn't make a fool of myself. The DADA teacher just stood there, while the other students watched and stared, with a few of them whispering amongst themselves.

The dummy Dementor stood silently before me, but with all the fear and nervousness I was feeling, it may as well have been a real one. Trying to find a happy memory amidst all of that was extremely difficult. 

"Mr. Croen," said the teacher, "Any day now...?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said, "sorry."

I took a deep breath, aimed my wand and said...

"E-Expecto Patronum!"

A few white sparks shot from my wand and vanished.

Students giggled. I felt my face burning.

The teacher was unamused, but she was at least willing to give me a few more chances.

I aimed my wand again.

"Expecto P-Patronum!"

Another few sparks. I was getting closer, seeing as they seemed brighter.

People were laughing louder. I looked at the teacher desperately. She gave me a gesture that meant "one more chance".

I concentrated, not keeping the tip of my wand away from the dummy.

I tried to think of something as happy as possible...and I spoke as clearly as I could under these circumstances...

"Expecto. Patronum."

A bright white light emerged from my wand. I looked up to see a pair of great wings unfurling before me, eighteen feet from tip to tip. At first, I was under the assumption that my Patronus was taking the form of some immense bird...until I noticed that the wings were smooth and featherless.

From between the wings came an enormous head, with a long crest projecting from behind a three foot long beak. Combined, the crest and the head were six feet in length. All of this was soon followed by a body with a rounded belly, a short tail and a pair of skinny legs tipped with webbed feet. The students and teacher all gasped in shock. And all I could think was that there was only one thing this could possibly be.

"A...a Pteranodon..."

The spectral pterosaur gave a mighty shriek before swooping down and incinerating the dummy Dementor. It...no "he", I reminded myself, the crest means he's male... then soared up into the air and then landed on all fours in front of me. I gave him a congratulatory smile before he vanished away.

The still shell-shocked teacher stood and stared as the students were all cheering for me. She looked at me and said, "Mr. Croen, you are definitely getting an O in this class*. And I'm awarding 100 points to Hufflepuff for this."

My housemates cheered even louder for me in response.

\----------

The next day, people were still talking about it. My sister walked up to me, looking a bit confused.

"What's this I hear about you having a _dragon_ for a Patronus?"

I laughed and said "I'll explain later."

**Author's Note:**

> Some quick research I did before this confirmed that you CAN have an extinct animal as your Patronus, it's just rare. One wizard apparently had a wooly mammoth.
> 
> *"O" means "Outstanding". On the exams (O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts) "O" is the highest grade you can get. I assume that's how the rest of Hogwarts' grading system works too.


End file.
